Double Chocolate Bagels
Double Chocolate Bagels are bagels made with cocoa powder and melted chocolate.
Servings 6 bagels
Cost 5
Ingredients
- 2 ounces chopped dark chocolate
- ½ tablespoon butter or vegan butter
- ½ packet quick rising or active dry yeast (1 ⅛ teaspoons)
- ½ cup very warm water 120 degrees F.
- 1 ⅔ cups bread flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder Natural or Dutch
- 2 teaspoons honey (can use maple syrup or more molasses for vegan)
- 2 teaspoon molasses
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar don't pack too tightly
- ½ teaspoon salt plus an extra pinch
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder optional
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips approximate!
Boiling Solution
- 8 cups water
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (or use a dash of barley malt syrup or some more honey and molasses)
Instructions
- Melt the 2 oz of chocolate with the ½ tablespoon of butter and set aside.
- Proof the yeast (even if it's Rapid Rise/instant) in the warm water.
- In a stand mixer bowl, combine 1 ⅓ cups of the flour, (reserve ⅓ cup for adding at the end), cocoa powder, honey, molasses, brown sugar, salt, espresso powder and yeast. Add yeast/water mixture then add melted chocolate mixture. Stir well, then begin adding remaining ⅓ cup of flour a tablespoon or so at a time. The dough should start to stiffen a bit, but it will still be a little sticky.
- Attach the dough hook to the mixer and knead for 8 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. It should leave the sides of the bowl as it’s being kneaded, but still stick to the bottom. If you can keep it slightly sticky rather than super stiff, the bagels will be a little fluffier.
- Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and roll it around so it’s slick, then cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 ½ hours. It won't quite double.
- Empty the dough onto a pastry mat and divide into 6 equal pieces. Working one piece at a time, press flat, put about 7 chocolate chips in the middle, then squish back into a ball and shape into a bagel. Another way to do it is to just roll the dough around the chips, stretch into long ropes and connect the ends to make circles. Make sure the chips are completely enveloped by the dough.
- Set on a greased parchment lined baking sheet. Cover with a greased piece of plastic wrap and let stand while you prepare the bagel water and the oven. This standing period should only be about 30 minutes, not a full hour.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a deep stockpot, bring 8 cups of water to a gentle boil. Add the brown sugar (or use ½ tablespoon each of molasses and honey). Reduce heat to very low boil. Carefully drop in as many bagels as will fit and boil them very gently for about 45 seconds, turning halfway through. Drain with a slotted spoon or spatula and return to the parchment lined baking sheet. Blot dry and brush with beaten egg white if desired.
- Bake the bagels for about 20-22 minutes at 400 degrees F. Allow them to cool completely or serve while warm. If you like, let them cool and then drizzle with melted chocolate.
Notes
The best way to measure flour for bread (especially when dealing with volume rather than weights) is to reserve a portion of the flour and add it little by little at the end, using just enough to make a stiff dough. In this case, I did use the full 1 ⅔ cup of flour.